A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Ten Things That You Should Absolutely Do Between Now And Next Week

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by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to theirs…and yours!

COMMUNITY | Sam Sullivan’s Public Salon: Ideas that Move the City goes down at the Playhouse this Wednesday night. It’s sort of like a Pecha Kucha night, only it’s not. The deal is that you listen to a line-up of cool/interesting people speak for 7 minutes each on the subjects they are passionate about. It’s a fast-paced evening of ideas and experiences from people who are making a difference in Vancouver. Expect a wide range of speakers including (but not limited to) bartender Lauren Mote (who will be there talking about booze, bitters and bar adventures); Vancouver designer Omer Arbel; actor Christopher Gaze; and half of our very favourite literacy superhero team: Sarah Maitland from The Writers Exchange.
Wed, May 15 | 7:30-9pm | Vancouver Playhouse (Hamilton & Dunsmuir) | $30 | DETAILS

ART | If you know Vancouver artist Robert Chaplin, you probably know he’s having a show that opens at The Unit Pitt Gallery in Chinatown this Thursday night. For those of you who don’t yet know Chaplin, it’s time to join the rest of us in adding this author, artist, and carving prodigy to your contact list. Head to Chinatown this Thursday night to catch a survey show of his work and be treated to a first-hand encounter with the artist himself. Chaplin is well known for such unique creations as minuscule travel-sized Danish Modern chess sets (constructed with Lego bricks), bold books, murals, and beautifully intricate carvings. He excels in stone and on paper and canvas; everything he produces demonstrates his unique sense of humour and idiosyncratic imagination. Extra bonus detail: this show also marks the launch of a new (and awesomely titled) book by Chaplin called Sorry I’m Not Sorry.
Thurs, May 15 | 8pm | Unit Pitt Gallery (236 East Pender St) | Free | DETAILS

DESIGN | UBC Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Environmental Design students are showing their 2014 projects at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza Pavilion over the next few weeks. Catch the opening reception on Friday night to see what the next wave of Vancouver designers and builders are thinking. Models, drawings, and renderings will be on display, illustrating new directions and design inspirations for a new generation of ‘city-making’ professionals. This show is free and open to all, and it will be fascinating for anyone with an interest in design, creativity, and the evolution of urban planning.
May 17 – 30 | Daily 12 – 7pm | QE Theatre Plaza (Georgia/ Hamilton) | DETAILS 
Opening | Friday, May 16 | 7pm | QE Theatre Plaza (Georgia/Hamilton) | DETAILS

VINYL | Nothing sounds quite like vinyl. If you need any convincing, head to the Main Street Vinyl Record Fair this weekend and throw yourself in wax’s deep end. On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, The Cambrian Hall (just off Main at 17th), will be swarming with vinyl lovers buying, selling or trading new and used records. You can talk old school stereo equipment, wear your old Clash shirt and marvel at the fact that there are still people out there hoarding cassette tapes. Oh, and The Knights of the Turntable will be spinning records for your listening pleasure.
Sat, May 17 + Sun, May 18 | 11am-4pm | Cambrian Hall (215 E 17th) | $3 at the door | DETAILS

FILM | The Cinematheque is screening Fritz Lang’s M this weekend. Filmed in 1931 and starring Peter Lorre (The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca), M is the story of a creepy-as-hell German serial killer who hunts children. From The Cinematheque: “Based on a real-life case of serial killer Peter Kürten, the so-called ‘Vampire of Düsseldorf’, Lang’s dark, brooding film brilliantly combines documentary realism with atmospheric Expressionism, and paints a harrowing portrait of troubled German society in the period immediately before Hitler.”
May 16-19 | Various times | Pacific Cinematheque (1131 Howe St) | DETAILS

FRESH AIR | Long weekends are perfect for exploring. Rain or shine, head out to the UBC Endowment Lands for a walk. Spring has brought with it all sorts of curious plants, bugs, birds and critters. Stop for a quiet moment to listen. In the event of rain the forest canopy offers enough cover so you can still enjoy a solid wander without leaving drenched – but do wear suitable shoes (residual mud patches should be expected). And if you are cruising around the city with kids between the ages of 3-12, you can get in on a Trail Troupers nature walk (meet at the intersection of 16th Avenue and Acadia Road on Saturday, May 17 at 10am).

GET ACQUAINTED | Forbidden Vancouver is leading a Lost Souls of Gastown walking tour this weekend that will take you through the back alleys and dark corners of historical Gastown. By the time you’re done you’ll know all about Gassy Jack, Klondike Kate and poor old John Bray. You’ll also get a feel for what the neighbourhood vibe was like way back when and gain a better appreciation for its street names, architecture and various landmarks.
Sat, May 17 | 8pm | Various Locations In Gastown | $22 | DETAILS

TEA | Kitsilano’s O5 Rare Tea Bar is a sleek-looking shop on West 4th that’s dedicated to the art of tea. Their passion is infectious and grounded in a deep understanding of and appreciation for the different types of tea, the places from whence they’ve come, and the people doing all the growing. O5 also hosts workshops and tea-related events. Scoot into the shop on Sunday night, for example, and you’ll learn how to make natural probiotic-packed kombucha in the comfort of your own home. The class will only set you back $15 and is a manageable one-hour in duration.
Sun, May 18 | 5pm | O5 Rare Tea Bar (2208 W. 4th) | $15 | DETAILS

EAT LOCAL | Trout Lake and Kitsilano Farmers Markets are a great place to stock up on fresh local food this long weekend. Grab spot prawns, salad greens, stinging nettles, vegetables, and herbs, as well as cheese, artisan breads, preserves, honey, wild salmon, cookies and pies.
Trout Lake: Sat May 17 | 9am-2pm | North Parking Lot, John Hendry Park | DETAILS
Kits: Sun, May 18 | 10am-2pm | 2690 Larch @ 10th | DETAILS

ROCK OUT | Because this is a long weekend and your internal calendar will be all sorts of upside down and backwards starting off next week, we’re including an event on this week’s Scout List that will happen early next week! Head to the Vancouver Art Gallery on Tuesday night for an informative lecture with author Susan Fast about Led Zeppelin fan culture. This lecture relates to the Myfanwy MacLeod exhibition currently showing at the VAG: “There and Back Again focuses on new works produced specifically for this exhibition, in which the sexually charged music of Led Zeppelin and the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien are key references.” Fast wrote the book In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin on the Power of Rock Music and we’re guessing she’s going to have a thing or two to tell you about Led Zeppelin that you didn’t already know. A little bit of Rock n’ Roll is a good way to come off a long weekend!
Tues, May 20 | 7pm | Vancouver Art Gallery | Free with Gallery admission | DETAILS

Check the Globe & Mail every Thursday for our Special Weekend Edition of the Scout List

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late-may-2009-169Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy (but faithful) camera.

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